About Te'andra

ABOUT TE'ANDRA

Te'Andra LaShae was born September 7, 1991, she was a bundle of Joy and as a child she competed as a blue belt in taekwondo. She continued sports in volleyball, basketball, track (elementary through HS and soccer (HS). She graduated from Ben Davis HS in 2010 as an Academic Athlete and Honor Society. she later went to college at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW), IUPUI and Ivy Tech for nursing. Te'Andra never met a stranger as she was loved by many. Te'Andra was very independent as she prided herself with great customer service as she worked for employers like Anthem, Johnson Controls, True Religion and Kids Footlocker. Footlocker was a great job for her as she was an avid sneaker fanatic (she owned over 80 pair of sneakers). Her love for sports drew her to NBA player Rajon Rondo as she was a die-hard Boston Celtics fan, so much so his name was included as her social media name Mrs_Rondo09. Te'Andra believed in keeping herself healthy as she worked out faithfully several times a week as well as had a healthy diet. Te'Andra loved family as she spent time with her mom Tonya no matter what it was, she spent time hanging with her brothers by watching Kalvin play basketball or watching him perform his music and going on vacations while also traveling to see Maurice Jr. run track from elementary through college career. She also attended the Indiana State Fair with her auntie Angie yearly. Te'Andra was one of the grandchildren her granny would call on to run her errands. She was extremely close with her Granny Annie. She enjoyed getting her hair and nails done, hanging with friends as she would attend the movies every Tuesday with them. Te'Andra and her friends would dress up to attend Pardi Gra (which is considered adult prom), she really loved attending outdoor concerts Camp Flog Gnaw in CA and Bonnaroo in TN, most of all Te'Andra was kind, caring, encouraging and just plain loving as she especially loved her dog, Louie. She made sure that she was there for anyone that needed her in any way.

Te'Andra was a hard worker never depending on anyone for anything. She had decided she wanted to become a flight attendant, so she faithfully interviewed with several airlines until she finally received notification in February of 2019 that she had landed her dream career and was set to travel March 20, 2019. Just two weeks before she was to leave, she ended up in the hospital for a weekend because she was unable to breath properly. She had asthma so she thought maybe it was just an infection, doctors gave her an x-ray and saw a nodule on her lung (she was not a smoker) and some spots on her liver. After further testing, she was then diagnosed with STAGE 4 CANCER. Her exact words were "mommy I am going to fight this by chemo or whatever I have to do". Not having any signs, Te'Andra continued to work for another two weeks. Around the last week of March, she started to have stomach and right-side pains and ended back in the hospital. Doctors thought because of the symptoms she was displaying; her colon was in jeopardy, so they did surgery because the tumors were against her colon and intestines. It was not until after that surgery they realized the type of cancer she had which was Appendix Cancer and she began chemo shortly after her procedure. Over the next three months we spent a total of nine weeks in the hospital where she had been watched over by me, brothers Kalvin & Maurice, her aunts Bonnie and Angie, second mom Gail cousins Jenae’, Tanaviah, Chelle.

Te'Andra and her granny Annie were in the hospital at the same time in April and May and they would either talk on the phone or send messages through someone encouraging each other to get better and go home. Their spirits could seem more like mother/daughter than grandmother/granddaughter some could say. Granny Annie came home May 11, 2019, while Te'Andra was still in the hospital battling to get better to be home on Mother's Day to spend time with family but that did not happen. Due to her spiking a fever, she remained in the hospital. Te'Andra finally was discharged that Monday (May 13th) late in the afternoon where she wanted to rest. Due to her health, she was not able to see her granny but was able to FaceTime her around 8:00 pm the same evening as they continued to encourage one another to get better. Well, a few hours later granny Annie passed away. Even amid all that was going on, Te'Andra continued to fight her cancer battle.

On June 15, 2019, Te'Andra had to be admitted to the hospital one last time to ICU for being unresponsive but visually able to look around and the ER doctor said she was dying as she had ammonia throughout her body. For almost 48 hours, Te'Andra did not respond to simple things as touches or voices. Te'Andra began to really move as she tried pulling tubes out of her nose. Staff had to put on medical mittens but the fighter she was, she eventually pulled the mittens of and snatched the tubes out of her nose, the staff was shocked because of the state she was in. I called her name out "Te'Andra, why did you do that?" She looked over at me and politely turned her head back to watch tv, she really was saying I know you did not think I was going to keep that mess in my nose. Later that night as we were preparing for bed, I said "I love you" she spoke for the first time and said, "I love you too." She then began ordering the staff around as only she could, and they catered to her every need for the next 13 days. We worked with palliative care to ensure she was comfortable as can be because we had an appointment with The Cancer Treatment Center in IL June 25th. By the end of that week, nursing staff told Te'Andra she could be transferred out of ICU, but she decided to remain in ICU. I asked why she wanted to stay where there was limited visitation, she said "I like how they treat me here except that one physical therapy lady (you had to be there to understand why this statement was so funny)." Te'Andra had always been the boss and the therapist was trying to make her doing things when she was not ready, so she pretty much put her out of her room. As Te'Andra continued to battle her illness, she was in good spirits, I NEVER SAW OR HEARD HER CRYING, ASKING GOD WHY OR COMPLAIN. On June 27th, Te’Andra had wrote in her Ipad notes that she has come to grips that her time was near and that she was tired of the pokes, hospitals etc. and left a bible verse of Psalms 121:1-8 that showed she was ready for her eternal home. Also, as her brother Kalvin birthday was coming up, she told him to take his trip and enjoy his day and not to worry about her. Te'Andra always thought of everyone else.

On Friday June 28th, Te'Andra had a rough night to where she was awakened out of her sleep and asked me "to hold her hand" and we woke up the next morning saying, "you still holding my hand", I told her “You never told me to let it go" and we both laughed and she then stated,” I’m so glad you are here, I don’t see how people go through this alone”, “I told her, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” 

On the evening of June 29th, Te'Andra told me to call her a few of her friends to come to the hospital (as we thought she would be put on a ventilator due to her heart being in Tachycardia) I did not think anything of it (until I talked with our stylist Shantelle a few days later) that she was preparing them for her transition. 

Although she was not able to have her flight attendant wings, 5 hours later June 30, 2019, at approx.: 12:47 a.m. as I was holding her hand, she gained her Heavenly Wings and now has the best first-class flight available. Therefore, the cancer foundation was named Te’Andra Tough in her honor so awareness can be brought to this type of cancer.

Stuart Scott Quote “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer, You beat cancer by How you live, Why you Live, and in the manner in which you Live."